July 6th

Checking the Tyre Pressure

All your rulers have fled together; they are captured by the archers. All who are found in you are bound together; they have fled from afar. Isaiah 22:3

I may never march in the... sing with me, ...but I'm in the Lord's army. We've known this most of our lives. We are the Lord's army.

The problem, though, is that a lot of us have gone AWOL. You know what that means,

right? Absent Without Leave, without permission. It means that a lot of us have run away, retreated without being commanded away from the front lines.

This is a huge problem, and Ephesians 6 helps us understand why. This is where Paul tells us to put on the whole armor of God, including the helmet of salvation, the breastplate of righteousness, having the sword of the Spirit in our hands-which is the Word of Godtaking up the shield of faith, and putting the belt of truth around our waist and the gospel of peace on our feet.

Here's the thing with that-is there armor everywhere? Are you completely covered? The answer is no. No, you're not completely covered, because your back is exposed. The armor is designed for you to come together, shield to shield with your fellow soldiers, forming an impenetrable wall like the scales on a snake.

But what happens when one soldier retreats? First, his own back is exposed, unguarded, unprotected, and vulnerable to any attack of the enemy. Second, the wall is broken. The one soldier who retreats leaves his comrades exposed. Instead of being free to focus on the enemy forces, they must focus on closing the gap. It changes the whole flow of the battle for those who are close to the one who retreats.

God doesn't want us to retreat from the spiritual battle that is being waged for all of our souls. He doesn't want us to pull back from Him, to retreat from trusting, believing, tithing, giving, and living for Him.

Instead, He calls us to stand firm, to trust His promise that we already have the victory. In fact, He would say to us today that the only way we don't win is if we retreat. If we will trust and stay, then we will win because Jesus has already won.

Whatever you're facing today, Jesus is the answer. Wherever He has called you to go, He's already there winning the battle. Whatever you feel is holding you back from living all out for Him, He's right there waiting to set you free.

Jesus is your victory today. Trust Him, stand firm, and receive His promise for you.

Prayer Lord Jesus,

Thank You that You have already given me victory over everything I'm facing today! I really would rather run away, so make me strong in You today as I choose to believe Your promises!

Amen